


Rebels and Heroes

by angel_of_the_morning



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bee Miraculous, Dialogue Heavy, Eventual reveal, Female Friendship, Fluff and Angst, Fox Miraculous, Friendship, Multi, Slow Burn, honestly I don't know how to tag this in a way that doesn't involve spoilers, like very heavy, non-canon as of 2x01
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-02
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-01-28 11:58:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12606096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel_of_the_morning/pseuds/angel_of_the_morning
Summary: They were suppose to be normal teens.  They're suppose to be hanging out at the park not fighting a war they never thought existed.  And as their team grows, dangers from the past return for the new team.  To go forward they'll have to go back first, back to what happened to the last miraculous team years ago."Great heroes need great sorrows and burdens, or half their greatness goes unnoticed. It is all part of the fairy tale.”





	1. Hot Chocolate, and Pink Roses

It was an unspoken rule that waking up before the sun is considered cruel and unusual torture.  At least that’s what Marinette believed, though apparently it was a rule Fu had never been given seeing as he had her waking up before the earliest bird.  And stupidly of all, Marinette agreed to it.

 

The blaring of the alarm clock was the loudest sound Marinette ever heard.  She contemplated breaking it, and sleeping for another hour.  Fu would understand, she and Chat had been out late fighting an akuma.  Marinette reached for the button on her alarm clock, but found something squishy resting on top on it stopping her.

 

“Marinette, you can’t go back to sleep.  You have to see Master Fu, it’s important.”  Tikki said over the buzz of the alarm.

 

“I’ll go this weekend.  Fu will understand.  I can’t do two history classes in one day,”  Marinette shoved her head under her pillow, and tried to fall back asleep.  Tikki began trying to pull the pillow off her.

 

“We’ve already cancelled twice this week and it’s only Thursday.”

 

“It’s Friday, and is it really my fault that everyone decided to be a criminal this week?”

 

“No, but we could’ve gone on Monday.”

 

“I was up until 4:30 am fighting the Banshee; my eardrums didn’t pop back for like six hours.”

“Wednesday?”

 

“I had a pile of homework to work on for Madame Mendeliev’s class, and she’s a stickler for late assignments.”

 

“Which is why we have to go today before you find another excuse.”

 

“I just need another fifteen minutes.  I’m not going to find another--” Tikki successfully pulled the pillow off her head, and Marinette sighed, “Fine, fine. I’m getting up.”

 

“Good,”  Tikki said smugly, “Now hurry up, you don’t want to be late for Master Fu’s.”

 

Marinette slowly rolled out of bed, and towards her closet.  She slipped out of her pajamas and into the clothes she pulled out the night before.  She redid her pigtails, blotted some concealer on the increasingly dark circles under her eyes, and deemed that enough work for today.  She slipped downstairs as quietly as possibly, stubbing her toe in the process.  Limping now, Marinette pulled on her winter coat and headed out of the house.

 

It had snowed again last night, and the January morning was bitter cold.  Marinette pulled her scarf closer to her and said, “My bed is probably looking really good right now, huh Tikki?”

 

“Master Fu’s is nice and warm too, and he probably has hot chocolate,”  Tikki reminded her from Marinette’s bag, “Now hurry it’s cold out.  I’m going to sleep for a few more minutes.”

 

“Lucky you,”  she said as she snapped the purse closed again.  Marinette hurried down the empty streets of Paris. No one but her, Tikki, and some random man who passed by were stupid enough to be out before the sun.  With no other foot traffic, Marinette was at Fu’s in no time flat.  She pulled the key from where Fu kept it and let herself in.

 

“Master Fu?”  Marinette called out as she walked into the little apartment.  She heard some shuffling and a loud yawn before Fu walked in.  He was fully dressed, but seemed to still be half asleep.

 

“Marinette?  I didn’t expect you so early,”  Fu said in a tired voice.

 

“I’m fifteen minutes late.”

 

“Which is fifteen minutes early for you,” Fu said, chuckling at his own joke, “Come, I’ll make you some hot chocolate.”  Marinette followed Fu into his kitchen.  Fu began to make hot chocolate, when her bag began to move.

 

“Did you have a good rest, Tikki?”  Marinette said, opening the bag.  Tikki ignored her, and flew out of the room.  Probably off to find Wayzz, Marinette thought.  Fu returned a moment later with two glasses in his hands.

 

“Now where did we leave off last week?”  Fu asked, handing one of the mugs to her.  

 

“I managed to get through the introduction without much stuttering,”  Marinette reminded him.  Fu pulled out Adrien’s book, the one she had given him.  He had been trying to teach her the old language.  Emphasis on trying as Marinette found she had trouble picking it up.

 

“Don’t worry, Marinette.  It’s a difficult language, especially compared to French.  Very guttural.  You’ll get it soon enough,”  Fu reassured her.

 

Marinette took a sip of her hot chocolate and looked back at the book, “Let’s just start on page one again.”

 

* * *

 

 

The Gorilla got Adrien to school with time to hang out with his friends before class.  He walked into the school and towards their usual spot.  Nino was already there, deep into his music.  Adrien walked over, and sat down next to him but was ignored.  He let it slip for now, instead trying to text Chloe.  When he looked up from his phone, he saw Alya walk into school.  Waving her over, Adrien made room on the bench for her.

 

“Morning, Tiger,”  Alya said, sitting down, “Has he been like this all morning?”  

 

“Yeah, he’s deep into the music.”  When Nino didn’t acknowledge his girlfriend’s arrival, they continued on without him.  They talked about nothing in particularly for awhile, until Alya’s phone buzzed with a ten minutes until class warning.

 

“Have you seen Marinette?  She offered to let me copy her math homework yesterday and I plan on taking her up on it,” Alya said, reaching into her bag for her phone.

 

“Haven’t seen her since yesterday.”

 

“I saw her walking down the street at five thirty in the morning,” Nino said, still looking off into the distance.

 

“What was she doing on the street at five thirty in the morning?”  Adrien asked him, “What were  _ you  _ doing on the street at five thirty in the morning?”

 

“When your puppy doesn’t want to pee at normal hours of the day you gotta let them out at five am,”  Nino told them, “At five am not even the sun is awake.  It is cruel and unusual torture to be out that early in the morning”

 

“How long have you been able to hear us?”

 

“The entire time.  There’s actually no music playing.  I just like to hear what people say when they think I can’t hear.  You two argued about Stranger Things for twenty minutes.  I had trouble keeping a straight face.”

Alya laughed and bumped his shoulder.  They all laughed for a moment, when another person enters their area.  Adrien looked up to greet who is assumed would be Marinette.  It was not her, but Lila Rossi.  Lila hasn’t gone near him in the almost month and a half since her first day.  The day he lost his father’s book, and after over a month of searching it still hasn’t managed to turn up anywhere.  Adrien was just thankful that if his father noticed the book’s disappearance he hadn’t told Adrien about it.

 

“Morning Adrien,”  She said casually.  She looked just like how she did several weeks ago, same sly smile and everything.

 

“Hey Lila.  How have you been?”

 

“I’ve been fantastic.  You look great,”  Lila sat down on their bench, close to Adrien.  He politely spoke with Lila, as he grew more uncomfortable with how she touched his arm and ignored Alya and Nino.  She had begun touching his hair when another person walked over.

 

“Morning everyone,”  Marinette said, “What’s going on here?”

 

“Mari!  Give me your homework,”  Alya called out, but Marinette ignored her.

 

“You’re Lila Rossi right?”  Marinette said, taking a hold of Adrien’s arm.  She pulled him out of the seat and took his place next to Lila, whose hand just hung limply in the space where his hair used to be.  Marinette smiled sweetly at her and said, “You’re from Italy right?  That’s so cool.  My grandma is from there, but I’ve never been.  What is it like?”

 

“Very Italian.  Who are you?”

 

“Oh, I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Adrien’s friend.  We’re very close.”

 

“I can tell.  He mentioned you.”

 

“He did?”

 

“He did,” Lila said, in a bored voice, “Didn’t he, Adam?”  

 

“Several times.  You’d think cartoon birds did here pigtails every morning with the way he said her name,” a new voice said.  Adrien turned to see a boy his age with the same brown hair and tan skin as Lila.

 

“I didn’t say it in anyway,”  Adrien argued.

 

“Sure you didn’t.”

 

“Who are you?”

 

“Adam Rossi.  I’ve been in your class for a month and a half now.  Guess you didn’t notice seeing as I sit  _ behind  _ Marinette.”

 

“I don’t know---” Adrien became to say.

 

“Nice to meet you, Adam,”  Marinette said at the same time, “Again.  Seeing as you sit behind me in like every class.”

 

“Can’t miss you.”  Adam said with a smile.

 

“Aren’t you two just adorable?”  Lila commented. “Now Adrien, I was hoping after school we would be able to--”

 

“I want to know how you think---”  Adrien began, still addressing Adam.

 

“Will you look at the time?”  Alya said abruptly, “We need to get to class if you want me to copy your homework.”  That’s when the whole courtyard went silence as Chloe Bourgeois walked into school alone.

 

No one had seen Chloe in a week, not since the news broke.  Paris Metro opens an unofficial investigation into Andre Bourgeois involving crimes of bribery, extortion, and embezzlement.  Adrien had tried his hardest to get to Chloe in school the last week with no luck.  Her phone had been off, and everywhere into her hotel was blocked by reporters.  Yet, here she was at school, head up and sunglasses on as if nothing was wrong.

 

“I can’t believe she would show her face here,”  Lila said in a whisper.

 

“This is her school too, Rossi,”  Alya replied in an equally quiet whisper.  Chloe’s eyes ghosted over them, but she looked away when Adrien raised his hand to wave.

 

“After what her father did, I’m surprised she could even show her face in public.  Shouldn’t she be locked away with all the blood diamonds he bought her?” It was Adam this time.

 

“We don’t know anything yet, the investigation only started a week ago and it’s still mostly unofficial,”  Marinette chimed in.

 

“Must be hell for her,”  Nino added.  Chloe walked up the stairs and disappeared into their class.

 

“Do you know how she’s doing?”  Alya asked, obviously directed towards Adrien.

 

“I haven’t gotten a chance to speak to her all week.”  Adrien said softly, “We should get to class.”  He didn’t wait for the others to respond and walked up the stairs towards their classroom.

 

* * *

 

 

Chloe Bourgeois was having the week from hell.  Her daddy was being looked at, they had to fire the cook because he was talking to the press, and worst of all she had to give herself her own manicure yesterday because daddy wouldn’t let her leave the hotel.  She has finally gotten permission to leave, but only for school.  Chloe had never been more grateful to be in this old prison rather than her new prison.

 

The whole class filed in slowly, and quietly.  All of them making a point not to look at Chloe, like she was some freak that was going to turn them to stone just for looking.  Chloe wished she could, wished she could turn them all to stone because they thought they could judge her.  She was Chloe Bourgeois, even at her worst she was twice as good as all of them.

 

Chloe sat stone faced, even as Adrien walked in.  She wanted to look at him so badly, but she knew her mask would break the moment she did.  She had almost in the courtyard, when he tried to wave at her.  She could still see him.  Adrien, Alya, Nino, the new boy, and stupid Marinette.  All looking at her with pity in their eyes.  She would not look at them, she can not let her mask flinch in the slightest, just like her mother taught her.

 

Everyone was in class now, even Madame Bustier, that is everyone except her best friend.  Sabrina Raincomprix had been MIA for a week and half now, avoiding any and all forms of communication Chloe had sent her.  Chloe had almost given up hope that Sabrina would be in today when the door to the class opened.

 

“Sorry I’m late, Madame,”  Sabrina said, hurrying to her seat.  Until she finally noticed Chloe in her usual seat, and made a turn towards Bustier’s desk. 

 

“What is it, Sabrina?”

 

“Um, I can’t sit in my seat today.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“I just don’t think it would be appropriate for the daughter of the investigating officer to sit next to the daughter of the… mayor.  So either I have to move or she does,”  Sabrina was at least trying to be quiet about it, but in a silent room, quiet was as loud as if she was shouting it.

 

“I understand,”  Madame Bustier said.  Her eyes looked at Chloe, then at the empty seat behind her with Alix, then over at the other side of the room.  She cleared her throat and said, “Miss Rossi please switch seats with Miss Bourgeois.”

 

“Why do I have to move?”  Chloe said, as calmly as possible.   _ Don’t lose your temper,  _ she thought to herself,  _ don’t be exactly how they expect you to be.  _ She had to be on her best behavior now, for Daddy.

 

“Because I said so, Miss Bourgeois.”

 

“Because you said so?”  Chloe could feel her nails digging into her palms.

 

“Yeah, because she said so,”  the voice of Lila Rossi said now standing next to her, “Now get out of my seat.”

 

“It’s not your seat,”  Chloe bit out harshly before she could stop herself.  She took a deep breath, like her Butler had taught her and said, “I mean, no problem.  I’ll just go to the back of the room now.”

 

Chloe picked up her things, and with one last look to her former best friend walking to the last desk in the class.  It was up in the corner of the room.  She was partners with Nathanael now; not bad, he won’t try to talk to her much.  But she couldn’t see now, and she wished not for the first time that she had bothered to get the glasses her butler kept pestering her about.

 

“Are you comfortable now, Miss Raincomprix?”  Madame Bustier said.

 

“Yes, very.  Thank you,” Sabrina replied, walking over to her seat.  Sabrina smiled brightly now, and Chloe felt herself flinch.

 

* * *

 

 

Marinette sat on the school steps, patiently waiting for Adrien to come out of school.  They were going to go get food before she had to go off to see Fu again, with Alya and Nino of course but it was a start.  Especially after he said repeatedly talked about her to Lila.  Marinette felt like she was on a cloud.  

 

“Marinette?”  a voice said behind her.  She turned around excitedly, but it was only Adam, the slightly nicer of the Rossi twins.

 

“Oh, hey Adam.  Do you need the history notes or…”  Marinette didn’t want to sound rude.  Her eyes flitted towards the door again, still looking for Adrien.

 

“No, just wanted to talk.  But if you’re busy waiting for Agreste like a puppy I can come back some other time.”

 

“What? No.  I have no idea what you’re talking about.  I’m not a puppy.  I mean, waiting for Adrien.  I’m just, um.  Hey, why don’t you talk for a bit?”

 

Adam laughed, a nice laugh but one that sounded a little too well practiced to be entirely natural.  He took a half a step closer, and another when Marinette tried to move back.

 

“I wanted to see if you wanted to go ice skating this weekend.”

 

“Oh sure, let me just tell the others.  We can all go together.”  Marinette smiled at him.

 

“Or we could not tell the others and go together,” Adam suggested smiling back.

 

“Oh,”  Marinette squeaked out, “That’s certainly an idea.  I’ll have to check with…”

 

“Hey, girl!”  Alya called, “What’s going on?”  She must have sensed Marinette’s discomfort because she and Nino came rushing down to them as quick as not slipping on a hiding patch of ice on the stairs would allow.

 

“I was just talking with Adam here,”  Marinette began, “He was talking about ice skating.”

 

“Ice skating?”  Nino said, “We could all go.  Me, Alya, Adrien, Marinette, you of course, and we’ll just find someone for you to skate with.”

 

“Rose?”  Alya offered.

 

“Only skates with Juleka.”  Nino replied

 

“Alix?”

 

“Only skates competitively, or with Kim.  Or both.”

 

“Nath?  Don’t want to discriminate.”

 

“Doesn’t know how.  Remember we brought him once and he just ended up sketching the other skaters.”

 

“Oh yeah, I still have his sketch of Mari pinned to the bulletin board by my desk,”  Alya said, before turning back to Adam, “Well I’m sure we’ll find someone for you.  Or you can bring Lila, you two seem very close.”

 

“Yeah, we’re two halves.”  Adam said, “I should let you get to where ever you guys were off too.  I’ll see you around Marinette.”

 

“Bye Adam.”  Marinette said politely.

 

“No.  Wait. Stop. Come back,”  Nino said softer and softer before laughing.

 

“What was his deal?”  Alya asked once he was out of earshot.

 

“I think he was trying to ask you on a date,”  Nino said.

 

“Well he stares at you enough in class to make his interest obvious enough,”  Alya laughed, “Mari’s got an admirer.”

 

“I’m sure he’s just trying to make friends.  You remember being the new kid, right Alya?”  Marinette said.

 

“Well I think you should say yes next time,”  Alya told her.

 

“What?  No.  I couldn’t.  What?”

 

“Sure you can.  If anything, you might get a good kiss out of it, he’s got soft lips, that means good kisser.  I’m not saying you should up and forget about A--- Apples.  I’m just saying you can still have fun.”  Marinette could feel her face getting redder the longer Alya joked.

 

Nino laughed this time, “Apples, really babe?  I know we’re talking about---”  

 

“Hey guys,”  Adrien said, finally arriving, “What I miss?”

 

“--Apples”  Nino finished, “We’re talking about apples.  Yeah, apples.  Nature’s toothbrush.”

 

“You three are just chock full of interesting conversations, aren’t you?”  Chloe walked towards them.

 

“Be nice, Chloe,”  Adrien warned, only half joking.  He turned towards his three friends, “Is it cool that Chloe comes with us?  She doesn’t really want to head straight home.”

 

“Umm…”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“I guess…”

 

“Perfect,”  Adrien said with a smile, “So where are we going?”  Just then a pink motorbike sped down the street stopping right in front of the school.  The driver was a woman in black leather pants and boots, with a black leather jacket embroidered with pink roses, and a bright pink helmet.

 

“Who is she?”  Nino asked.

 

“Someone cooler than we’ll ever be,”  Marinette said.

 

“I wonder where she came from,”  Chloe commented.

 

“Somewhere cooler than we’ve ever been,” Adrien said.

 

“We should probably stop staring before she notices us,”  Alya replied.

 

At that moment, the driver looked up and pulled off her helmet.  Long black hair spilled out, and her head turned to reveal a half-covered, half-familiar face.

 

“Jett?”  Marinette cried.  The woman pulled her hair off her face and turned showing that she was exactly who Marinette thought she was.  Her mother’s sister, Marinette’s beloved aunt Jett.

 

“Mari!”  Jett said, hopping from her bike.  Mari ran down the stairs, and embraced her aunt as tight as possible.  Jett squeezing back even tighter as she said, “How have you been, Kitten?”

 

“I’ve been great, how have you been?  You were at Coachella last I heard from you.  No, Burning Man.  No, no, it was that festive place where the people dance naked under the moon.”

 

“We’ll I’ve been to them all, and I brought you back souvenirs from them all.  All for your birthday.”

 

“My birthday was three months ago.”

 

“Well, I got stuck hitchhiking through New Jersey for a bit,”  Jett, frowned slightly, “What matters is I’m here now?”

 

“Exactly, how long will you be here?”

 

“Haven’t decided yet.  Probably a few weeks at least.”

 

“That’s awesome.  Does Mama know yet?”

 

“No, and I was hoping that you could help me tell her,”  Jett said, “That is after you introduce me to your friends.”

 

“Oh yeah of course,”  Mari pulled her over to her group, “Everyone this is my aunt Jett Cheng.  She’s an artist, a dancer, whatever she wants to be.  She travels everywhere.  Jett this is my best friend, Alya Cesaire.”

 

“Awesome to meet you,”  Alya smiled.

 

“Awesome to meet you.  Any best friend of Kitten’s is a best friend of mine,”  Jett replied.

 

“And I think you met Nino last time you were here,”  Marinette continued.

 

“I think I was like eleven when I met her, Mari.  Time goes by, I’m a man now.”

 

“I’m not so sure, you still have those little baby cheeks from last time,”  Nino and Jett shared a laugh.

 

“And this is Chloe, my--yeah.  This is Chloe,”

 

“Hello.  I like your jacket.”  Mari was thankful that Chloe was playing polite for once in her life.  She couldn’t have Chloe ruining everything and Jett leaving early.

 

“I got it from this little boutique in California, but I did find out the next week that the little boutique has a website.  I could give it to you if you want.  Great Prices.”

 

Marinette finished her roll call, “And this is my friend, Adrien--”

 

Jett cut her off, “Adrien Agreste.  Good to see you.”

 

“Have we met before?”  Adrien asked politely.

 

“You’ve got one of those faces.  I sold a painting to your father once.  Years ago, in my very first show.  My very first sale.”

 

“Wow, really?  What was it?  I can see if we still have it?”

 

“Doubtful.  It wasn’t very good.  I think he only bought it to humor me,”  Jett smiled, “You have lovely eyes.”

 

“Thank you,”  Adrien said, “Would you like to come to lunch with us?”

 

“I’d love to, but I’m actually going to have to steal Mari away,”  Jett said, “Bonding time.”

 

“Okay,”  Marinette said, “Sorry, guys. We can get lunch tomorrow.”  She bid all her friends (and Chloe) goodbye and followed after Jett.

 

“Hop on, kid,”  Jett said, handing Marinette an extra helmet.

 

“Where are we going?”  Marinette asked, getting on behind her.

 

“No clue.  That’s what makes it an adventure, Kitten,”  Jett replied, as she revved her engine and shot off down the street.


	2. You can throw math homework at me

 

The last time that Jett rode into town, Marinette had been fourteen.  Jett had brought her to a theater that played old movies round the clock, a modern art museum her friend worked at, and her first Jagged Stone concert.  Of course Jett hadn’t bothered to tell her parents that they were going to Munich to do all this.  After that weekend, Jett had to report in every hour with Mari’s location.  But if her parents didn’t know Jett was in town yet, neither of them had to get in trouble. Their first stop was some hole-in-the-wall restaurant that Jett insisted had the best noodles in at least a ten block radius. 

 

“Where have you been?”  Marinette asked, through a mouthful of handmade noodle, “You promised that it wouldn’t take forever to come back this time.”

 

“It’s only been a year.”

 

“It’s been eighteen months.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

Marinette didn’t reply, but shot Jett a disapproving look.

 

“Okay, fine.  I might have lost track of them in the Alps, but I had a good reason.”

 

“Which was?”

 

“Would you believe I met this girl who was looking for a partner to help her and her monk friend find the Yeti who killed the monk friend’s father?”

 

“Not even in the slightest, Jett.”

 

“Good because that’s a lie.  It was the monk friend’s mother.”  Jett laughed at her own joke, “What have you been up to?”

 

Well you see I found a pair of earrings that contained a creature called a kwami who grants me magical powers.  Which I’ve been using to fight crime as Ladybug against super powered villains.  I’ve gotten my period, I sorta got boobs.  I had my first real kiss, but he can’t remember it.  I’m totally in love with Adrien Agreste, but he doesn’t know about that either.

 

Marinette wanted to tell Jett everything, like she always had before.  But she couldn’t bring herself to say a single thing.  But she had to give Jett some response.

 

“Well I’ve been hanging out with my friends, working at the bakery.  Normal teen stuff.”

 

“No crushes? No pretty boy or handsome girl catch your eye?”

 

“No.” Yes.

 

Jett put down her cup and looked Marinette in the eye.  She tried her hardest not to avert her gaze or flinch when Jett said,

 

“It’s that Agreste boy, isn’t it?”

 

“No.” Yes. 

 

Marinette and Jett had the same bright blue eyes, down to the little flecks of silver that Marinette could only see now while she had to stare deep into her eyes.  Because Jett’s stare was not going to break anytime soon.

 

“We’re just friends,”  Marinette tried to assure her.

 

“Sure, but have you kissed him?”

 

“What?”  Marinette shrieked, completely breaking eye contact.  She jumped back in her seat, almost entirely knocking over her bowl of noodles.

 

“What?  Friends kiss friends all the time.  I can’t tell you how many friends I’ve kissed.  At least eighty percent, some with tongue.”

 

“I did not need to know that,” Marinette exclaimed, “And I don’t go around kissing my friends, that was one time!”

 

“The plot thickens.  Who was it if not Adrien?  Alya?”

 

“No one!”

 

“Nino?”

 

“No.  I mean, yes, but that was once when we were eleven.  We wanted to get our first kisses over with.”

 

“It wasn’t Chloe was it?  She doesn’t seem like your type.”

 

“Do you want me to puke up my lunch?”

 

“Fine, keep your secrets.  I always figure it out.”

 

Marinette paled, “Secrets, I don’t have secrets.  Who said I had secrets?”

 

“You don’t, Kitten?”  Jett said, “Then why didn’t you tell me you weren’t stuffing your bra anymore.”

 

“There was an incident involving a terrible chest cold pun that I don’t want to revisit.  It wasn’t as bad as Chloe’s water bra accident.”

 

Jett laughed loudly, “Let me guess, she didn’t know it was actually full of oil.”

 

“She leaned a little too close to the bunsen burner and almost lit her chest on fire.  She pulled her entire bra off and threw it across the classroom,”  Marinette said as she started laughing, “She was so embarrassed that she made everyone in class sign a nondisclosure agreement not to tell anyone.  I could get arrested just for telling you that.”

 

The two dissolved into laughed for a moment, before slowly regaining their breath.  Marinette could feel tears of laughter in her eyes over the memory of Chloe’s water bra exploding against the science room wall.  When her vision finally cleared she saw that Jett wasn’t laughing anymore, just kind of staring at Marinette with a look she couldn’t place.

 

“What’s up, Jett?  Did I snort?”

 

“I was just thinking, Kitten.”

 

“About what?  You’re next great adventure?  Fighting time travelling samurais over possession of the Necronomicon?”

 

“Something like that,”  Jett said, “But also nothing like that whatsoever.”

 

“That makes only too much sense.”

Jett was quieter than Marinette had probably ever seen her.  She reached over and took one of Marinette’s hands, “I was thinking that maybe you could travel with me for a bit.  Leave with me when I go, or you could wait until Spring or Summer break.  Just you and me, having adventures together.  How does that sound?”

 

_____

 

Lunch with his friends went awkwardly to say the least, Adrien knew that well enough.  Alya was polite, Nino was polite, Chloe was polite, Adrien was polite.  No one spoke, and Alya and Nino left as soon as the food was done.  Adrien hadn’t been sure he even wanted to bring Chloe, but she looked so sad when he had finally gotten around to talking to her.  Friends make everything a little better.  But Alya and Nino weren’t her friends, they were Adrien’s friends.  And no matter how hard he thought Adrien couldn't come up with more friends for Chloe than him and Sabrina, and she didn’t have Sabrina anymore, just Adrien.

 

They had gone back to Adrien’s house after eating, seeing as the hotel was once again flooded by paparazzi.  Chloe still hadn’t spoken much all day, worrying Adrien.  Last time she had been this quiet it was the anniversary of her parent’s divorce.

 

“So I was thinking,”  Adrien said, trying to break the ice, “Maybe you could stay here this weekend.  We could watch some old school anime and I can convince the Gorilla to sneak us some junk food.”

 

“I wouldn’t want to intrude,”  Chloe replied, “You don’t want to spend the weekend with me.  You have other friends.”

 

“You’re my oldest friend, Chloe, I always want to hang out with you.  Let me just tell my father. Call your butler to drop you off clothes and pick a show while I’m gone.  But please not Sailor Moon again.”  

 

“Sailor Moon is a masterpiece.”

 

“As you keep telling me.”

 

“Fine, but you can’t pick Naruto next time.”

 

Adrien half-faked horror and slipped out of the room.  He hoped his father was in a good mood, and would be okay with Chloe spending the weekend.  They used to do it all the time when his mother was still around.

 

His shirt began to move, and Adrien opened it enough for Plagg to slip out.

 

“You couldn’t have let me out earlier, kid?  I like cheese as much as I love life, but even I can’t deal with your pits smelling like it all day.”

 

“My pits don’t smell like---”  Adrien paused, to sniff inside his shirt, “My pits don’t smell like cheese.”

 

“Today it doesn’t, but someday.  I could help you with that, but I’m too tired.  Because you’ve been starving me all day.”

 

“I can’t just feed you in public.  I’ll give you extra cheese tonight to make up for it.”

 

“If you can manage to pull yourself away from Chloe.  Why are we letting her stay over?”  Plagg complained, “If she’s here we won’t be able to hang out all weekend.”

 

“It’s just until Sunday, Plagg.  She needs a pick me up, and she’ll be back to her normal bossy personality.”

 

“She’s been so polite I’m surprised she didn’t pop a blood vessel.”

 

“She’s been having the month from hell.  She just needs some time to adjust.”

 

“Fine, but when you find her in your underwear draw don’t complain to me.”  Plagg slipped back into his shirt without another word.  Adrien headed down the stairs to his father’s office.

 

First, Adrien would have to get passed Nathalie, who was sat on her desk typing away on her computer.  He’ll have to walk past her as quietly as possible.

 

“Don’t even try sneaking, Adrien,”  Nathalie said, not even looking up, “You know your father is busy this week.”

 

“I know.  It’s the beginning of a new quarter, and if he makes even one mistake we’ll be out of business.”

 

“What do you need?”

 

“I just wanted to talk to Father.”

 

“Regarding?”  Nathalie wasn’t going to let him talk to his father for anything less than a major medical emergency, if that.

 

“Just let him in, Nathalie.”  His father’s voice said from the doorway he now stood in.

 

“Very well sir.”  Adrien followed his father into his office as quietly as possible.

 

“What is this about Adrien?”  His father asked, returning to his desk, “You know that this is the beginning of the quarter and--”

 

“I know, every moment you don’t spend working is a moment closer to bankruptcy,”  Adrien flinched, now was not the time for back talk, “I was hoping Chloe could stay for the weekend.”

 

“I just told you how busy this week was and you immediately ask for a slumber party?”

 

“We’ll be quiet I promise, we won’t even leave my room.  With everything that is going on with her father she just needs to get away for a bit.  Mom was fine with her staying over.”

 

Father didn’t reply right away, he turned and looked at the portrait of his mother, then back at his son.  Adrien paled for a moment, out of fear that he knew about the book, but instead Gabriel said, “Fine but for every time I hear either of you it will be an extra hour of piano practice, no matter how small the sound is.”

 

Adrien smiled brightly and said, “Thank you so much, Father.  We’ll be as quiet as mice.”  

 

“I expect nothing less.  Go play with your friend, I have work to do.”  Gabriel turned his back on his son and began walking towards his desk.  That’s when Adrien remembered Marinette’s aunt.

 

“Oh, Father,  before I go, Marinette’s aunt picked her up from school today,”  Adrien told him.  Gabriel didn’t even look up from his work as he said,

 

“What does that have to do with me?  I don’t need a play by play of your crush’s day like I’m a giggling schoolgirl.”

 

“I do not have a crush on Marinette.  Why do people keep saying that?  She’s just a friend,”  Adrien took another breath, “Her aunt was an artist, and she said you bought one of her pieces in her first art show.”

 

“I buy a lot of art. What is her name?”

 

“It was Jett, I believe,”  Adrien said.  Marinette would be so excited to see one of her aunt’s first pieces.  Gabriel had stopped working, his pen just hanging slightly above the paper in contemplation.  After a moment, he resumed writing.

 

“I don’t have any pieces by any Jett Cheng.  You said she’s your friend Marinette’s, aunt, right?”

 

“Yeah, I was hoping to show it to her.  Mari would love seeing one of her aunt’s first pieces.”

 

“I’ll have Nathalie check in storage to see if we have anything.  Now go, I have work to do.”  Adrien left without another word to his father or Nathalie.  He slipped the Gorilla some money for snacks and returned to Chloe.

 

“So, what did you pick?”  Adrien asked, casually slipping some cheese into his shirt for Plagg.

 

“Revolutionary Girl Utena.”

 

“Of course you did.”

 

* * *

 

 

Marinette never answered Jett, instead she ran off to the bathroom and didn’t come out until Jett successfully bribed her with the promise of thrift store hopping.   A promise that Jett immediately when through with as they spent the rest of the day wandering through Paris.  Years away and Jett could still find the best places in Paris to shop.  They were wandering through a forgotten record shop, when her bag began to jump.

 

“I’m just going to go---um, look for something… over there,”  Marinette stuttered out.

 

“Want me to follow, Kitten?”

 

“NO! I mean, no.  It’s cool.  Keep wandering around the 80’s section.  Reminisce.”

 

“How old do you think I am?” Jett asked.

 

“Timeless?”  Marinette said, trying to control her bag.

 

“Good answer.  I’ll be in the Jazz section.  I’ll bring you back some Mingus.”  Jett turned and began to walk down another isle.

 

“Awesome, I’ll be, um, that way,”  Marinette called back to her, before rushing down several aisles.  After she was sure she was alone, Marinette opened her bag to let Tikki out.

 

“Marinette! Master Fu is waiting for us,”  the kwami said, “Just stop in.  It’ll only take a few minutes, but it’s very important.”

 

“I know, I know.  Studying that book is very important, but it’s been years since I got to see Jett without a computer screen between us.”

 

“But Fu said he really needed to see you tonight.  And you promised no more excuses.”

 

“Fine, I’ll think of something to tell her.”  Marinette shut her bag again, and went searching for Jett.  She found her two aisles away, looking deeply at old Eagles albums. “I thought you hated the Eagles.”

 

“I do,”  Jett replied casually, still flipping through the stacks.

 

“Then why are you looking at their vinyls?”

 

“Excellent question.  Who were you talking to?”  Jett looked up, and at Marinette.

 

“Alya.  I told her I would run to her house to help her….with….her…..math homework.  She’s having trouble with it.  I’ll be really quick, she’s just around the corner.  Just hang out around the stores I’ll be back before you even know it.  Promise.”

 

“Fine, but get back soon.  We have to surprise your parents soon.”

 

“I’ll be back in the blink of an eye.  Get them some candles.  Mom loves candles.”

 

“I know your mom loves candles.  She was my sister before she became your mom.”

 

“I know I know,”  Marinette kissed Jett’s cheek, “Thank you.  Love you.  Bye.”  Marinette sprinted out of the store and down the nearest alley. Marinette opened her bag and let Tikki fly out.

 

“If we hurry we can make it to Fu’s and back before Jett manages to get through the rock section,”  Tikki told her.

 

“Let’s do this.  Tikki, Spots On!”  Marinette exclaimed.  The familiar light surrounded her, and Ladybug took her place.  Swinging through Paris completely at ease, Marinette would be there in no time.  Or she would have been had she not stopped to help that kid get his cat from the tree, and stop that purse snatcher, and help the old woman with her groceries.  It took longer than it should have to get to Fu’s, but Marinette got there eventually.  She slipped into the alley by his entrance to detransform.

 

“For someone who wanted to get to and from Fu’s as quickly as possible, you sure made a lot of stops.”

 

“I know I know.”  Marinette walked out of the alley, and to the side door.  She pulled the spare key out, and let herself in.  Fu was sitting in his parlor, meditating, when Marinette walked in.

 

“You don’t have to keep hiding the key every time you come and go.  Just take it.  I’ll have another made.”

 

“It’s okay.  I wouldn’t want any strange connections...connecting us together if anyone looks too deeply.”  She hadn’t even told her parents about Fu, electing to leave the house when they wouldn’t notice she was gone.

 

“I’ll put you on my books.  If anyone asking, tell them that you’ve been doing work with me regarding healing.  Most people don’t ask more than that, they’re afraid you’ll get chatty and spiritual after that.”

 

“I’ll think about it,”  she told Fu.

 

“Very well,”  Fu asked finally rising from his mat, “Tea?”

 

“Yes, please,”  Tikki said sitting on the table.

 

“Not for me, I’m sorry I can’t stay long.  My aunt will be looking for me soon.  I kind of ditched her in a record shop.  She’ll probably realize I’m gone too long when she needs someone to gush about the Clash with and I’m not around. Though she could find someone else to talk with.”

 

“Fifteen minutes?”  Fu asked while he poured himself and the kwamis cups. 

 

“Maybe twenty.”  Marinette said, sitting down at the table, “Where did I leave off on again?  I had to have made it through the prologue.”

 

“You did, but we aren’t here to talk about the book,”  Fu left the table and walked over to the record player.  Marinette remembered him showing it to her the first day she arrived.  He pressed the secret switch, to open the hidden Miraculous compartment.  Fu pulled out the box, and brought it over to the table.

 

“What are we doing with the box?”

 

“After you left this morning I went back to bed.  As I am an old man who is starting to require sleep more and more, and it was 6:45 in the morning.  While I was abed, Wayzz and I had a shared dream.  Though we can’t recall it now, the feel of foreboding would not leave.  It was then that I realized must be done,” Fu told her.  He opened the box, and pulled out the fox necklace and the bee hairpin.  “The fox is the miraculous of illusion, and the bee the miraculous of order.”

 

“Why are you telling me this?”  Marinette felt a feeling of dread sweep over her, “Are you okay?”

 

“Because it’s your job to find your bee and fox.”

 

“Mine?  Why is it my job?  You picked me and Chat Noir.  Why can’t you pick them too?”

 

“That’s your job.  Yours and Chat Noir’s.  They’re your team to form, not mine.”

 

“What if I don’t choose right?”

 

“It’s your team, you’ll know what the right choice to make is.” He held out the miraculous for her to take, “Go ahead, and don’t worry about waking them up.  They’ll stay asleep until someone without a miraculous touches them,”

 

“I’m not sure if I’m ready for this step.  Chat and I are a good team, we can handle what is coming together.”  She pushed the miraculous away from her, towards Fu, “Maybe another time.”

 

“Take them anyway.  Use one, use neither.  You’ll know when it’s time.”  Fu held out the miraculous again, and Marinette found herself slowly taking them.

 

“Are you sure?”  They were so small, even in Marinette’s small hands.  So much power, and it’s her job to pick someone to wield them.

 

“Entirely.  Believe in yourself, Marinette, I already do,”  Fu told her, slowly closing her hands around the jewelry, “Now you should probably be going if you don’t want your absence to be noted.”

 

Marinette carefully placed them into her purse, “Thank you, Master Fu.  I’ll consider it.  Just one for now.”

 

“I have the utmost faith in you.”

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow for more studying.”

 

“Nonsense, you have family in town.  You can take a few days.  Sunday?”

 

“Thank you.  Good night.”

 

“Good bye,”  Tikki exclaimed as they left.  They left quickly, and were across the town in the flick of a wrist.  Marinette hurried back into the record shop to find Jett nowhere around.

 

“Jett?”  Marinette called out, looking around, “Jett where are you?”

 

“Right here, Kitten,”  Jett said behind, “I’ve been looking for you.”

 

“Sorry, Alya’s science homework took longer than we thought it would.  I promise I won’t run off again.”

 

“It’s cool.  I met someone to talk to.”

 

“Get along well?”

 

“ I think I told him to shove an Eagles album up his ass or something like that.”

 

“Jett!”  Marinette scolded.

 

“What? He took it well. We’re getting lunch sometime.”  Jett laughed.  The two walked out of the shop, back towards Jett’s bike.  It was a different one from the blue one she had last time, and when Marinette asked about it Jett had told her she gave the last one to a priest in exchange for something better.  The new one was blood red with a cat decal on it that amused Marinette.

 

“I think it’s time to tell my parents that you’re in town for---how long will you be town again?”  Marinette said, as she handed Jett the bag to put in the storage area.

 

“Excellent question.  I suppose you have a point, if I don’t tell them soon I’ll be sleeping on a bench or forced to call up an old friend who probably rather not see me to use his couch.  Neither are preferable situations to asking my sister, which is also unpreferable,”  Jett said, “Maybe I should call my old friend, it’s probably been long enough that they don’t recall the incident with the paint, and the condom thing.”

 

“Can I hear that story?”

 

“You’re not old enough for the paint story.”  They got on Jett’s bike, and rode down the streets of Paris.  The wind in Marinette’s hair reminded her of swinging through the air as Ladybug, and if she closed her eyes she could almost imagine she was at the top of the eiffel tower, Chat at her side.  The thought of Chat threw her out of her daydream, as Chat reminded her of the new miraculous laying her bag.  Instead Marinette focused on the blurrying buildings and nothing else.  It had to be past six now, the sky was almost dark and the shops were closing.  All except her family’s little bakery that stayed open well into the night and only closed after the nearby bar opened it’s doors around nine.  Jett parked on the street, out of view of the bakery’s windows, and Marinette got off.

 

“I love your bike,”  Marinette complimented.

 

“I knew you would. You’ve loved the speed and the wind of your face since you were just a little baby,”  Jett told her, “You’re like me in that way.  I can teach you to ride if you want.  It’ll be our little secret.”

 

“I don’t know.  Mom and Dad probably wouldn’t like me on a bike.  I’d have to ask.”

 

“What’s the point of it being our little secret if they know about it?”

 

“Well when you put it that way…”

 

“You don’t have to answer now.  We’ll just have a lot to talk about tonight.”  They walked across the street, and Marinette let them into the house.

 

“So how are we going to break it to them that you’re here?”

 

“I was going to have you tell them while I hide in your room and contemplate just escaping out the window.”

 

“Okay, let’s go with a different plan that’s nothing like that.”

 

“Fine, we’re still spit balling then.”

 

“I was thinking that you could whip up for dinner to sweeten them up, then you can tell them.”

 

“That’s a slightly better idea.”

 

“I know, I tend to have them.”

 

“You’re a bright kitten, Kitten.  I’ll get started on something.  Why don’t you go snapchat your friends or whatever kids your age do these days.”

 

“Jett, you’re like thirty-eight.  You don’t have a right to be this outside of the times.”

 

“First, not thirty-eight and I’m kind of insulted you think I’m that old.  Second, I had to use my last smartphone as pieces for…. I’m going to stop talking and get started on dinner.  Go play.”  Jett started to push her towards the stairs, bumping her purse in a way that Marinette knew Tikki was probably uncomfortable.

 

“I’m going, I’m going.”  Marinette went up the stairs to her room, careful to shut the door before opening her bag, “Fu can’t be serious?”

 

“He most certainly is, Marinette.  It’s a honor to pick a holder.”

 

“I’m giving them back to Fu tomorrow,”  Marinette said, “I just gotta figure out where to put them until then.”  She put them onto the desk, while she looked for a box to store them.

 

“You can’t do that.  It would be insulting for you to refuse it.  There has to be someone who you think could be a hero,”  Tikki said.

 

Marinette’s eyes slid over to a picture of Alya on her wall.  She  _ had  _ thought to give Alya her earrings when she first got them.  Alya couldn’t be Ladybug, but maybe she could be another hero.  Marinette reached over and pulled the picture off the wall.  She could do this for Alya, make her the hero Marinette always thought she could be.

 

“Marinette?”  Tikki called out, snapping her out of her thoughts,  Tikki was sitting next to the necklace and hair comb.  Marinette didn’t answer, instead choosing to reach out and pick up the fox necklace.  Memories of Lila and Volpina rushed back.  Gabriel Agreste had gotten it exactly right down to the curve of the tail.  The book must have been his, he must have spent hours examining it to get it this precise.  It was rather pretty,  it would look nice against Alya’s skin tone, almost like something she’d buy her for her birthday.  Tikki spoke up again, “Do you have an idea of who to give it to?”

 

“Alya,”  Marinette said softly.  She had made her decision.

 

“And the hair comb?”

 

“Fu said it was for me  _ and  _ Chat Noir to decide, not just me.  If I can bring someone into the team why can’t he?”

 

“Chat isn’t always the most rational though.  He might give it to the first person who comes to mind.”

 

“Like I’m about to do?  Was thinking about doing?”  Marinette said, “No, I’m doing this.  Now, before I can change my mind.”  Marinette got out her seat, and quickly put Tikki and the comb in her bag.  She ran down the stairs, necklace still in hand.

 

“Where are you going, Kitten?”  Jett said in the kitchen she had somehow already messed.

 

“I have to run to Alya’s real quick.”

 

“Weren’t you already at Alya’s today?  Got more homework to do?”  Jett asked putting down her bowl.

 

“Yeah, lot of homework.”

 

“It’s okay, you can tell me.”

 

“Tell you what, Jett?”

 

“Is it Adrien?  Someone I haven’t met?  Is it actually Alya?”

 

“Is what?”

 

“Whoever you’re running off to see and presumably exchange kisses with.”

 

“THERE IS NO ONE!”  Marinette’s hands flew to her face in embarrassment.  Why did Jett have to be like this?   

 

“I just want you to know, that I’m cool with it.  You can tell me…”  Jett trailed off softly.  She was looking at the necklace in Marinette’s hand now.

 

“Tell you what?”

 

“Anything,”  Jett finished quickly, “What’s with the necklace?”  Marinette instinctively stuffed the necklace into her jacket pocket.

 

“What about the necklace?  It’s just a necklace.  I, um, saw it in that thrift shop before and thought it was cute.  But I… didn’t have anything to go with it, so I was going to give it to Alya.  It’s more her type.  Why do you ask?”

 

“It’s just cute.  I was going to ask to borrow it,”  Jett said, reaching for Marinette’s hands.  She took her hands, one still tangled in the necklace.  Jett’s hands were small, barely bigger than Marinette’s own, but they felt so strong.  Jett gently ran her thumbs over Marinette’s knuckles as she said, “I just want you to know you can come to me for anything.”

 

“You’re not really here enough or even within cell service enough for me to talk to,”  Marinette admitted, slowly pulling her hands away.  She wasn’t ready for that conversation.

 

“I’m hoping to change that very soon,”  Jett told her.  She moved her hand to tuck a stray piece of hair, “Did I ever tell you that pigtails were my favorite style for years?”

 

Yes, Jett had.  Marinette’s own pigtails had been inspired by the few pictures that Jett had of herself.  Marinette smiled, “I guess it’s a family trait.”

 

“Yeah,”  Jett smiled at her, “Go on.  Tell Alya I say hello, and be back soon for dinner.  Promise.”

 

“I will and I will.  Promise.”  Marinette planted a kiss on her aunt’s cheek and headed out of the house.  Once she was outside, she opened her bag again. “Tikki, if we’re doing this we’re doing this right.  Spots On!”

 

* * *

 

Alya Cesaire sat at her desk scrolling through the comments on her latest Ladyblog post.  The heroine had been quiet since Monday after the fight with the Banshee through the Seine.  Outside of a few comments about seeing her swing around the Chinatown area, no one has even seen her or Chat Noir.  Sure, everyone was entitled to a few days off but that didn’t help her stats very much.  Alya moved from her desk to her bed, trying to get more comfortable and failing.

 

She knew she should probably be working on her math homework.  With Marinette’s “as-of-yet unknown-to-everyone-but-Nino-apparently” aunt in town, she probably wouldn’t have time to let Alya copy off of her tomorrow.  She was on her own tonight.  Alya rolled herself off the bed, and grabbed her backpack.  Reaching inside she pulled out her homework, and sat on the floor.  She opened her book, and decided that that was enough working for now and it was time for a five minute break.  Leaning onto her book for comfort, Alya pulled out her phone and scrolled through Twitter.  Apparently, Ladybug had been spotted freewheeling through the air just a few blocks away.  Maybe Alya should grab her bike and try to find her, maybe score another interview for the Ladyblog.

 

“You know Math books don’t make the best head rests,”  a voice said from behind her.  Alya instinctively threw her math book at the direction of the voice.  Then jumped  up, reaching her for the next closest weapon, her bright yellow umbrella.  Brandishing it as a weapon, Alya faced her supposed attacker.  

 

Ladybug, the actual Ladybug, was standing in her room next to her formerly closed window.  Alya felt her arms lower instinctively, “Ladybug?!”

 

“Alya,”  Ladybug said.  Ladybug still remembered Alya’s name; if she hadn’t already been losing her shit she would be losing it by now.  

 

“Oh my god, you’re here.  In my room.  Why are you here?  In my room?  What is this Spider-Man?”

 

“I have something for you.”  Ladybug said, sauntering over to her.

 

“I have a boyfriend,”  Alya replied quickly.

 

“I’m aware,”  Ladybug said, still walking over to her.

 

“I’m just saying, show up after dark in a young reporter’s room, telling her you gotta show her something. Sounds like a come on.”

 

“I think you’ll like what I actually have for you much more,”  Ladybug laughed.  She moved her hand to her hip, before pausing.  She patted her side, as if looking for something.  Ladybug sighed and said, “Where’d it go I had it in my pocket when I--- shoot!  Okay looks like we’re doing this the other way around.”

 

Alya had no clue what was going on, but she wasn’t about to stop whatever Ladybug was about to do.  She tried to slowly reach for her phone to start a live stream.

 

“Don’t touch your phone.  I’m not going to hurt you or kiss you or anything like that.”

 

Alya opened her mouth and all in one “I didn’t think you were going to hurt me.  Or kiss me.  Why did  _ you  _ think I was going to kiss you?  Do you want to kiss me?  Cause if you want to do it we’ll do it.  I could be into this.  I mean I got a boyfriend, but he’ll be cool with it.  Really cool.  Okay, let’s do this.  Let me just pop a mint.”

 

Ladybug laughed, causing Alya to brush red from her neck up.  When she finally got a breath she said, “I’m not going to kiss you, at least not right now.  I meant friends kiss friends all the time but that’s not what we’re doing right now.  Besides you have Nino, I have Adrien kinda.”

 

“We’re friends?” Alya asked, “What?  How do you know Adrien Agreste?  How do you know Nino?  What’s going on?”  Alya raised her umbrella defensively again.

 

“It’ll be easier if I can show you,”  Ladybug said, “Let’s do this. You might want to look away.  Tikki, Spots off!”  A bright light filled her bedroom, blinding Alya momentarily. When the light receded, Alya opened her eyes to look at Ladybug.  But in her place stood Alya’s own very best friend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

 

“Marinette?”  Alya said, releasing her umbrella.  She wondered where Ladybug had gone for half a second before it all connected in her head.  All the weird disappearances, and strange excuses.  Alya couldn’t believe she hadn’t been able to put it together before.  She felt her mouth drop open, “Oh  my god! You’re--”

“I know!”

 

“Holy shit!  My best friend is--”

 

“Exactly!”  Marinette’s smile was so bright she could probably light all of Paris if she tried.  Alya rushed forward and hugged her best friend.

 

“I’m sorry I threw math at you.”  Alya went to pull away, only for Marinette to hold her closer.

 

“You can throw all the math you want,”  Marinette said, finally pulling away.  

 

“You’ve been Ladybug the entire time?”

 

“No, I found the miraculous on the bus just now and decided to take it for a spin to confuse you.  Of course, I’ve been her the entire time.”  They moved to Alya’s bed, sitting cross legged in front of each other.

 

“Be nice, Marinette,”  Alya heard a small voice say.  A small red creature flew around Marinette directly in front of Alya, “Hi, Alya. Nice to finally get to actually meet you.”

 

“What the fuck are you?”  Alya said jumping back, feeling around for something.

 

“It’s okay, Al.  This is just Tikki.  No need to bring back the umbrella.”

 

“What’s a Tikki?”

 

“I’m a Tikki.  I’m Marinette’s kwami.”

 

“That’s cool.  Nice to meet you,”  Alya held out a finger for Tikki to shake. “But also  _ what  _ are you?”

 

“We’re the holder of the miraculous powers.”

 

“That’s so cool. I can’t wait for the viewers to...no nevermind.  Getting an interview is probably a bad idea to do.”

 

“An incredibly bad idea.  Do you have any cookies?  I get very hungry after Marinette detransforms.”

 

“Oh yeah sure I think I got something,” Alya said reaching into her nightstand.  She pulled out a box of shortbread cookies she had bought last night.

 

“Are those store bought?”  Marinette said, incredulously.

 

“I wanted shortbread cookies at two am, were you going to make them for me?”

 

“I guess that’s okay then,”  Marinette said, watching Tikki munch on the cookie.  Things got awkward after that, the sound of the kwami softly eating and the cars driving by outside are the only noise.  Thoughts started rolling around in Alya’s head.

 

“Mari?”  she said quietly, “Why did you tell me?  I mean, I’m glad you did.  It’s some of the best news that ever happened to me.  But you’ve been Ladybug for months, why are you telling me now?”

 

“When I first got Tikki, I was so scared. So scared that I tried to give it up.  I tried to give it to you, the earrings even ended up in your bag but you left without it that day and I ended up as Ladybug for forever as of last ten minutes ago.”

 

“And what?  You’re giving me her now?  Are we in trouble?  I’ve got a nail bat, a go bag, and like five hundred bucks in cash saved up.  We could get on the next train to literally anywhere.  I always wanted to see Istanbul and Budapest, we can do it together.”

 

“We can go to both someday, but I’m not in troub-- why do you have a nail bat and go bag?”

 

“Irrelevant, answer my question.”

 

“Well I met the Keeper of Miraculous and he gave me a task,”  Marinette told her, reaching into her pocket.  She pulled out a fox tail necklace, dangling it from her thumb so it sparkled in the light.  

 

“Is that?”  Alya said softly.  The gleamed so brightly in the light, and she started to reach out to touch it.  She only stopped when Marinette moved it slightly farther away.  

 

“It’s the miraculous of illusion. The Fox.”

 

“And it’s for me?”

 

“Couldn’t think of a better person to become a hero.”  

 

“Really?”  Alya and Marinette shared a smile, “I don’t know what to say.  Thank you.”

 

“You don’t need to say thank you.  I knew you’d be an amazing hero and now you have a chance,”  Marinette told her.  She put the necklace on the table and started to get off the bed, “It’ll probably be better if I leave before you touch the necklace.  And I have to rouse a kitty I haven’t seen in a few days.”

 

Alya was smart enough to turn away from her friend’s transformation this time.  When she finally turned around Marinette was Ladybug again.

 

“Tell Chat Noir you’ll be getting another partner soon,”  Alya called to her.  Marinette laughed before jumping out the window.

 

Alya was left to stare at the necklace in shock.  It was only when her eyes slipped to the clock a little to the left that she realized that Mari had left over a half hour ago.  And that she hadn’t moved at all in that time.  With renewed determination, Alya got up and locked her bedroom door.  Sitting on her bed again she finally picked up the necklace.

 

An orb of bright orange caused Alya to glance away, but when she looked back this her kwami was.  The same size of Tikki, but with the obvious appearance of a fox.

 

“Hi I’m Alya,”  she said, smiling.

 

“Trixx,”  the kwami replied, slowly returning the smile.  

 

“Sweet,”  Alya and Trixx said in unison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is only about half as much as I wanted to put in it, but I cut most of Adrien out to keep the third chapter from being filler.
> 
> Be sure to kudos, comment and subscribe. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. 
> 
> Good Night and Good Luck.


	3. Next Step: Netflix

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I didn't abandon this story as much as got very busy and then got writer's block. I'll try not to do it again. Sorry.

 

They were only about five hours into their marathon when Chloe finally passed out from a mix of junk food and exhaustion.  Adrien left her on his couch and slipped out of the room for more cheese. The house was dark now, the sun long set and no lights were left on.  The Gorilla had probably left for the night, Nathalie too, but his father did still live here. He’d have to stay quiet, no need for more piano than necessary.

 

 Adrien was creeping past his father’s barely opened office door when he heard the barest hint of a familiar voice. He stopped short and found himself walking a little closer to the door, and when he hear it again Adrien found himself pressing an ear to his father’s door.

 

“Gabriel...Gabriel, Gabriel. Can you hear me? I-”  The voice was cut off by a harsh button press.

 

“Gabriel...Gabriel, Gabriel. Can you hear me? I-” A button press.

 

“Gabriel...Gabriel, Gabriel. Can you hear me? I-” Press.

 

“Gabriel...Gabriel, Gabriel. Can you hear me? I-” Slam!

 

“Gabriel--”  Adrien heard a footsteps click, and the recording stopped.  There was nothing but the sounds of clicking- heels?- and the roll of his father’s work chair.

 

“Sir, I don’t think it’s very healthy for you to keep listening to that.”  It was Nathalie, what was she doing here so late?

 

“I’ll keep listening to it until I understand what the meaning is,” his father said, annoyed.  There was more moving around, shuffling.

 

“It’s been over a year, Sir.  It’s not healthy for you to keep listening to her message.  You heard her, she’s not coming back.”

 

“She’s said that before, and she’s always come back.”  Adrien tried to get closer, daring to try and open the door in the slightest.  It was most obscured and he could only barest outline of his father’s desk. When he saw that neither of them had seen him, he ventured the door open a little farther.  With a better view, Adrien was able to see his father and Nathalie. Gabriel Agreste sat in his chair, slouched over like Adrien had never seen him, with his coat and ascot removed. Nathalie stood behind him, looking into the wall safe Adrien has stolen the book from.  He could feel the color drain from his face, Father must have realized the book was gone by now. But if he had why hadn’t he questioned Adrien about it yet?

 

“That was a day or two, a week, a month at most.  She was frantic when she left, like she hadn’t been since---”

 

“She wouldn’t just leave Adrien.  He’s her world, and if she left him it’s because she has no other choice.  There is this sound in the background of her call, if I can figure out what it is I can figure out who took her.”

 

“No one took her, sir.  You know that as well as I do.  She left, that’s all,” Nathalie shut the wall safe, “Have you even talked to Adrien about this?”

 

“Of course not, he’s just a child,”

 

“He’s not _just_ a child.  He’s your child.  Adrien is going through the same things you’re going through.”

 

“I’ll tell him something when there is something to be told.  Now if there isn’t anything else, you’re free to go home for the night.  You’re clearly getting too comfortable here.”

 

“Very well, I’ll show myself out.  You should try to get some sleep. I’m fairly sure undercover cream isn’t going to cover it if you go another two days without sleep.”  Nathalie started walked towards the door, forcing Adrien to try and scramble behind a potted plant for disguise. If Nathalie noticed him she didn’t let him know, just grabbed her purse and left without another word.  But she had left his father’s office door opened. Slowly Adrien tried to move farther into the shadows, hoping that Father didn’t notice him in the doorway.

 

His father stood up from his chair, slumped and unmoving.  Adrien sat on the floor staring at him, waiting for an opportunity to make it back to his room.  Father finally stood up from his chair, and looked off out of his window. With his back turned, Adrien finally felt comfortable trying to move.  Slowly he crept out of his hiding spot, and up the stairs as quickly as possible.

 

Finally out of earshot, Adrien began to process what he had heard.  He pressed his back against the cold wall and slid to the floor. What was going on?  His mother had called his father _after_ she had disappeared.  And Father hadn’t told anyone. Not the police, not Adrien, only Nathalie.  Why did she deserve to know and not his own son? Why did he think he could keep this from Adrien?

 

Adrien could feel an anger fill him that he wasn’t sure he had felt before.  He was going straight into his father’s office and getting an answer. Or he would be, if Plagg didn’t make his presence known at that moment.

 

“Kid, kid.  I know you just started your war path, but you gotta go.”

 

“I am going, right into my father’s office.”

 

“We both know you’d chicken out before you made it to the stairs, but you have another meeting to get to.  Ladybug is looking for you.”

 

Adrien felt his anger leave him instantly, “How do you know she needs me?”

 

“Kwamis work in mysterious ways, now let’s go.”

 

“Alright Plagg, claws out!”  A moment later, Adrien was springing out of the closest window and across Paris.  There was one place he could always find his lady, the top of the Eiffel tower.

 

She was already there when he made it to the top.  Her back to him, her ponytails fluttering slightly in the cold breeze.  Adrien felt his breath catch, and it took him a moment to call to her.

 

“You called for me, my lady,”  Adrien called out. She turned around, and smiled at him.

 

“Evening, Chat.  Didn’t expect to see you so quick.”

 

“After so many days apart you could call me an eager cat.”

 

“I don’t think that’s how the saying goes, Chaton,” Ladybug laughed again, and Adrien could feel the stress fading from him.

 

“Cats, Beavers.  Same thing.”

 

Ladybug raised her eyebrow at him.“Really, Chat?” she said incredulously.

 

“What I say?”

 

“Nothing, nevermind, I’m changing the topic.”  Ladybug sat down on the edge of the tower, beckoning Adrien to join her.

 

“There’s something I’ve been keeping from you,”  Ladybug began, awkwardly.

 

“If you’re thinking about taking our relationship to the next level, my lady, don’t worry.  I don’t need your Netflix password. I have my own account like a proper cat,” Adrien joked.  Ladybug loosened slightly, though she was clearly worried about something. “Unless you need _my_ password, then by all means it’s Usagi4Ever. Don’t tell---”

 

“A few weeks before Christmas, I found an ancient book on the Miraculous.  And by found I mean stole from Adrien Agreste, and haven’t yet returned,” Ladybug said, dropping her face into her hands, “And that’s only the beginning…”

 

“You stole m--Adrien Agreste’s book?” Chat said.  Weeks of searching, and his lady had Father’s book the entire time.  But why would Father have a book on Miraculous?

 

“I have every intention of returning it, but we still need it.”

 

“We need it?”

 

“Not you and me.  Fu and I.”

 

“Who’s Fu?”  Adrien could feel his brain starting to hurt.

 

“The Guardian of the Miraculous.  He is the one who chose us, and he’s been training me for awhile.”

 

“To do what?”

 

“Keep the Miraculous I suppose.  Mostly we’ve been studying dead languages at very early hours.”

 

“What---”

 

“Fu said that it’s time for us to take the next step.”

 

“I thought that what sharing Netflix passwords was.”

 

“Stop joking, Chat,”  Ladybug scolded, “This is important.”

 

“Fine.  You stole an important book full of Miraculous stuff from a boy who’s probably looking for it, and took it to a secret master who you probably should’ve told me about.  What I miss?”

 

“Fu said it wasn’t time to tell you yet.  Says that trying to train two people at once is hard on his old bones.”

 

“How does this Master Fu know about the miraculous?”

 

“He has one.  The Turtle Miraculous.”

 

Adrien turned to look at her again, shocked, “There is a fourth miraculous out there?”

 

“There is three other Miraculous.  The Fox, the Bee, and the Turtle. Fu has the Turtle.  There used to be another Peacock, but it’s been lost. And of course the Butterfly, Hawkmoth.”

 

“Are the other two safe?  If he lost two already he could lose the other two.”

 

“The other two is part of the reason we’re here right now.”  Ladybug stood up, and walked over to another corner. There was a small bag there Adrien hadn’t bothered to pick up on before.  She sat back next to him, and pulled a small box out of it.

 

“Are you asking me to go steady with you, my lady?”  Adrien joked, half heartedly. Ladybug handed him the box, inside was a small bumblebee hair comb.

 

“Fu said it was up to us to pick the next holders.  I hope you don’t mind that I took the Fox Miraculous.  This is the Bee, the miraculous of order. And you can pick who to give it to.”

 

“I can give it to anyone?”

 

“Anyone.”

 

“Anyone?”

 

“Yes, Chat, anyone.”

 

“Did you already give it to someone?”

 

“Yes I did.  They’re probably off trying out their powers right now,”  Ladybug told him. She already had a new partner, and he was expected to get one too.

 

“Does this mean we aren’t partners anymore, my lady?” Adrien asked, softly.

 

Ladybug put a hand reassuringly on his arm, “We’ll always be partners, Chat.  No matter who else is on the team, it’s me and you first.”

 

“I think it’s actually you and I.”

 

Ladybug’s laugh helped pull away the last of his bad feelings.  They sat in silence for a few moments before he hear the bells of the nearby church toll.

 

“Shit,”  Ladybug said suddenly, “What time is it?  I gotta get home.”

 

“So soon, dear?”

 

“I promised a family dinner that I’m definitely late for by now”   Ladybug told him. She got up, “Just think about your Bee. You don’t have to pick today, just when you’re ready.”

 

Ladybug spun her yoyo, and was almost off when Adrien remembered, “Ladybug wait.  Adrien Agreste. He--contacted me a few weeks ago about that book. It’s important to his family.”

 

“I’ll--- I’ll see if I can get it back.  Good night, Kitty.” With that Ladybug was gone.

 

Adrien was left alone on top of the Eiffel tower, holding one of the most powerful objects in creation in his hand.  And all he could think was, _there’s no way Nino has enough hair for this comb._

 

* * *

 

 

Marinette could feel the tension from behind her front door, looming like if she opened it Hawkmoth himself would be standing on the other side.  But he wouldn’t be, she knew that, but the reality, the family dinner she has definitely missed by now, was just as bad. She rolled back her shoulders and opened the front door.

 

No one was speaking, no one was around.  Marinette was almost ready to pull out the old saying, “it’s quiet, too quiet” but if the incident when she was ten had taught her anything, that was not a thing to say.  The kitchen was perfectly clean, there wasn’t even dirty dishes left in the sink. The living room was fine, not a pillow out of place. Her parents shoes were at the door.  Yet no one was around.

 

“Mama?  Pa?” Marinette called out, “Jetty? Anyone home?”

 

The answer was a small movement from her living room’s balcony, a person.  It was her father. He looked back at her, and beckoned her over. Marinette walked over nervously.

 

“You missed dinner, Marinette,” her father said, “Jett is in town.”

 

“I know, Papa.  She picked me up from school.”

 

“You’re still in the city, so she’s getting a little better.  You could’ve given your mother a warning though. Probably better you weren’t here.”

 

“It didn’t go well.”

 

“I just finished cleaning up.  Your mother is downstairs, baking.  Jett took off on her bike, she’ll be back eventually I suppose.”

 

“Mama is going to let her stay right?  Please say yes. Jett says she’s getting things together.”

 

“She might not like it, but she won’t refuse her.  But she can’t stay very long.”

 

“I’ll help her!  I promise. Everything will be okay this time.”

 

“I hope so, Mari.”  her father said, “Now go get ready for bed.  I volunteered you to mediate lunch between them tomorrow.”

 

* * *

 

 

It was nearing 4 o’clock in the morning when Gabriel finally stopped working.  He closed down his station, and finally left his office. He walked up his stairs, and down the hall.  His limbs felt heavier with every step. Maybe Nathalie was right, he needed to get more sleep. She was usually right in the end.

 

There was a dim light coming from under the door to the movie room, drawing Gabriel to it.  He opened the door to tell Adrien and Chloe it was long past time to sleep, but found them already curled up on the couches, deep asleep.   _If Emilie could see him now,_ Gabriel thought to himself.  He turned off the screen, and left them.

 

Emilie _could_ see him now, if she wanted to, Gabriel had to remind himself.  It was her choice to leave, it was her choice to leave every time.  And no message could change that. No half explanation for something he had no knowledge of.  Maybe if he listened to it one more time.

 

Gabriel turned back towards his office, and was half way down the stairs when he heard it.

 

“Gabriel...Gabriel, Gabriel. Can you hear me? I’m sorry.  You have to understand. I know Adrien won’t. I did what I did for our family.  For our family. For Eloise. Please Understand.”

 

Jumping into action, Gabriel slipped back up the rest of the stairs as quiet as a mouse and into the practice room.  He grabbed his old archery set, and crept back down the stairs. _Maybe it’s nothing,_ Gabriel thought to himself, _Maybe it’s Nathalie.  Maybe it’s Emilie, or a ghost.  Maybe you’ve finally lost your mind._

 

Still, Gabriel slid an arrow out of his quiver.  One breath later, he burst into the room and shot out an arrow in the direction of his desk.  The arrow never made contact with anything, but ended up caught in the hand of a nearly forgotten face.  He let the bow slide from his fingers.

 

“A little medieval, don’t you think Gabey?  Natty keeps a gun in her desk, and I can’t catch a bullet,” Bridgette said.  She sat on top his desk, wearing a black leather jacket with pink roses. He remembered it well, he'd made it for her.  The years had given her a hard look, a long way from the cheerful girl he had known.

 

“What are you doing here, Bridgette?  It’s been years.”

 

“I needed to see Phoebe.”

 

“It’s been years.  The world moved on while you were hiding from that.”

 

Bridgette took the arrow between her small hands, and snapped it angrily, “I was not hiding from anyone or anything, and it’s pretty damn funny coming from you.  When was the last time you even left this mansion? The Gabe I remem--”

 

“It’s _Gabriel,_ it’s always been Gabriel.  Despite what childish monikers you gave me, _Jett._ ”

 

“You know what I don’t know why I even came here.” Bridgette hopped off the desk, and started to take strides towards the window, “Guess I just wanted to let you know I’ll be in town for awhile.  I’ll keep to my business, you keep to your prison.” She hopped up to the window she had likely come through, “I met your son today. Kitten and him seem to get along well, real well. Better than… Looks like we might still have that chance yet.”

 

“Adrien’s perfect, or better then we ever were at least.”  Gabriel looked past her at the moon.

 

“No, they’re more of the same.  Doesn’t mean they still don’t have the chance to be though.  I don’t think I ever said sorry. So, I’ll say it next time.”  And with that Bridgette Cheng flipped off his window, leaving Gabriel alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, moving up the meeting at the end from later in the story than it originally was is what broke my writer's block.
> 
> Be sure to kudos, comment and subscribe. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible.
> 
> Good Night and Good Luck.


End file.
